Can’t spend time in quilting room: What to do?
 

All you Brilliant Quilters: I need your help. My dog had eye surgery and must remain calm for the next month to let it heal. Which means she can’t use stairs. And she is glued to me like a stray thread, so if I go upstairs, she will want to come, but is a bit too big (30 pounds) to carry. And my quilting room (sewing machine, sit-down quilting machine, cutting table, ironing board) is upstairs.

Do I just stick with a hand-sewing project? Bring my ironing board downstairs and pre-wash fabric? Set up my sewing machine on my dining table? All of the above? Looking forward to your suggestions and solutions you had when your sewing room was more or less off-limits.

I would just do some hand work for the next month. After I broke my ankle, I couldn't manage the stairs for over a month. I made a lot of progress on my hexies then. I'd play it by ear. If you got tired of the hand work before the month was up, you could always bring some of the other stuff down then. Good luck and hugs and pets for your doggie.

If you have unwashed fabric, I would work on that. If you have any patterns and magazines that you haven't gone through, you could bring those down and make some plans. Is your computer downstairs? You could use this as an excuse to browse fabric websites on line, LOL. Or learn some new techniques on youtube. If you have finished, unquilted tops, you could trim frayed threads on the backs (ugh, my least favorite task). And definitely work on your hand sewing.

Wishing your dog a speedy recovery!

All or your ideas are good ones and you are a loving doggy Mama! :)
Get well soon, Pooch!

Thank you all for your thoughtful replies and well wishes for my little pup. She seems to best if I just sit still, so I will probably start with hand-work and browsing on my iPad. Good thought on trimming extra threads on finished quilt tops! Then when that gets too boring, I’ll probably wash and press fabrics so I’m ready to go when everything is back to normal.

Hope your doggie gets well soon. All of the above as far as what to do while you're stuck downstairs.

Rob

I would make a center down stairs, move your sewing machine and bring projects packed as kits. Kind of like when you go camping. My studio is up stairs too and I have run into issues like this before. I also have hand sewing bags and baskets that contain a project and enough to work on it.

Love all the ideas for your personal doggie day care! How about snuggling and watching a movie when you get tired of your quiltilng activities.

My main quilting room is upstairs, with the longarm and my Bernina and fabric stash. But I also have a 301 in a cabinet on wheels for downstairs sewing. I set up an iron and cutting station on the kitchen island, bring my project downstairs, and I can sew with my dog. He recently had knee surgery, and he doesn't like stairs either.